S.B. 42 creates a moratorium and phase out of fox pen facilities in the Commonwealth

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed legislation restricting cruel fox pens – staged competitions where wild-caught foxes are trapped and stocked inside fenced enclosures to be chased down by packs of dogs. The Humane Society of the United States’ Virginia State Director Laura Donahue issued the following statement in response:

“We applaud Governor McAuliffe for signing this important bill that will phase out existing fox pens, and prohibit any new pens from opening. Virginians have long opposed these barbaric, inhumane enclosures, where dogs chase down and often catch and rip apart the trapped foxes. This has truly been a team victory, and it’s only because of the tireless efforts of Senator Dave Marsden, Attorney General Mark Herring and our dedicated supporters that fox penning finally has an expiration date in the Commonwealth.”